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Peter Shumlin: GOP holds nation 'hostage'

Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin has seen the enemy — and it is Republicans in Congress.

“The one thing that stands in our way of prosperity, of job creation, right now, is this Congress, which refuses to work with the president,” Shumlin said Friday on POLITICO’s State Solutions Conference, adding: “We have a Congress that is holding American prosperity hostage right now; we have Republican governors who are passing the tax policies they can’t get past a Democratic [Senate] and a Democratic president.”

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PHOTOS: POLITICO's State Solutions Conference

Shumlin, the chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, has pitched progressive leadership on the state level as a solution to what he calls an obstructionist GOP House of Representatives. Shumlin cited Vermont’s unemployment rate — the sixth lowest in the country — and income growth — it was the only state to see any in 2011 — as evidence his plans could work.

The most immediate threat to economic progress, he said, was the sequester, which would cut $1.2 trillion in domestic and defense spending if it goes into effect on March 1. Shumlin said the sequester would result in layoffs for firefighters and police officers in the Green Mountain State.

Shumlin also endorsed universal background checks and restrictions on the size of magazines, a bold step in a gun-loving, rural state like Vermont. (Shumlin has an “A” rating from the National Rifle Association.) But he wasn’t willing to back an assault weapons ban.

“It all depends on how city boys define an assault weapon,” he said, making it clear he would want to ban “weapons of war.”

Despite his leadership position in the party, Shumlin continued to swear off any interest in the presidency, saying the best part of visiting D.C. was going home. But he did think a non-governor was in the leading position for the 2016 Democratic nomination.

“Let’s be candid about this: So much depends on Hillary,” he said. “If Hillary runs, you’re going to see fewer candidates. If Hillary does not run, you’re going to see more candidates.”

Shumlin also insisted Democrats were in a great position to win both 2013 governor’s races, portraying Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli as a tea party extemist who would lose to former DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe, and arguing New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie — who has a whopping 75 percent approval rating — was effectively an absentee leader who has failed to revive the Garden State’s economy.

“While he’s been running around the country taking about all kinds of other issues, New Jersey’s economy, the jobs future there has been flat and dead, worse than when he took office,” Shumlin said.

Shumlin also took some shots at Florida Gov. Rick Scott and other GOP state leaders who have decided to take additional Medicaid funds from the Affordable Care Act.

“I think a 30 percent approval rating will make you rethink your policies,” he said.

Shumlin, for his part, is trying to bring single-payer health care to his state, but only if it saves the state money by controlling costs.

RGA Chairman Bobby Jindal of Louisiana was invited but could not attend the event.